A group, the Igbo Peace Forum (IPF), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to charge Nnamdi Kanu with mass murder.

Mr Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been calling for the secession of Igbos from Nigeria.

Now facing criminal charges following his re-arrest, Mr Buhari’s regime accused the separatist leader of orchestrating the killing of 60 people.

On Sunday, the IPF, at a solidarity rally to register their support for the regime and security agencies, urged the government to prosecute Mr Kanu for mass murder.

IPF’s national coordinator Emeka Okpara said Igbos were concerned that some people in the South-East took up arms against the government, leading to the loss of lives and properties.

“It would be recalled that the leader of the proscribed IPOB, Kanu, who was standing trial on several charges, including treason, jumped bail but was re-arrested recently.

“We all remember how one individual could order from abroad attacks on government formations, killing hundreds of innocent people. IPOB caused the death of hundreds of people in the South-East,” the IPF leader stated.

Speaking further, he said, “The only way the government can console Nigerians is to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Now, with the arrest of Kanu, appropriate charges of mass murder should be pressed immediately. It is the prosecution of these alleged criminals that would give credence to our sovereignty and restore the confidence of the masses.’’

According to Mr Okpara, the activities of IPOB give Igbos a bad name, endangering their livelihoods in other parts of the country.

(NAN)